Adjustable shank mounting

ABSTRACT

A plow frame or the like includes a pair of horizontal transverse beams along which a plurality of ground-working implements or shanks are mounted. Each shank is clamped to the beams by an assembly which includes a pair of vertical mounting plates extending between and releasably secured at their ends to the beams, the upper end portion of the respective shank being clamped between the two plates in any of a variety of vertical positions. The assemblies are constructed to be reversible endto-end to permit staggering of the shanks in a row.

United States Patent 91 Mills ADJUSTABLE SHANK MOUNTING [75] Inventor:Franky D. Mills, Plainview, Tex.

[73] Assignee: The Hamby Company, Plainview,

Tex.

[22] Filed: June 11, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 152,356

[52] US. Cl 172/34, 172/689, 172/702,

.172/763, 172/776, 306/].6 [51] Int. Cl A0lb 33/00 [58] Field of Search172/439, 446, 451,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,193 2/1889 Lunn 172/34198,512 12/1877 Hill 172/34 2,689,514 9/1954 Ferguson 172/655 3,001,5909/1961 Tsuchiya 172/741 451,252 4/1891 Barton 172/763 1,373,858 4/1921Bowen 172/476 1,668,067 5/1928 Geraldson 172/655 [451 July 3,1973

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 295,367 3/1929 Great Britain 172/34345,779 10/1935 Germany 172/702 651,644 4/1951 Great Britain... 172/65649,195 3/1965 Poland 172/743 666,707 2/1952 Great Britain... 172/416426,097 10/1947 ltaly 172/476 Primary ExaminerRobert E. PulfreyAssistant Examiner-Eugene H. Eickholt Attorney-Cushman, Darby 8r.Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT A plow frame or the like includes a pair ofhorizontal transverse beams along which a plurality of groundworkingimplements or shanks are mounted. Each shank is clamped to the beams byan assembly which includes a pair of vertical mounting plates extendingbetween and releasably secured at their ends to the beams, the upper endportion of the respective shank being clamped between the two plates inany of a variety of vertical positions. The assemblies are constructedto be reversible end-to-end to permit staggering of the shanks in a row.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIIEDJULIB ms 3.743.029

saw. a or 2 INVEN'IOI M ATTORNEYS ADJUSTABLE SHANK MOUNTING Thisinvention relates to mounting means for releasably attachingground-working implements or shanks to a plow frame or the like, and inparticular to an improved mounting means for this purpose whichdistributes stresses to the plow frame in a uniform manner and whichpermits adjustment of the shank positions on the frame.

Tractor-drawn, ground-working machines such as cultivators and plowstypically include a rigid horizontal open frame having multipletransverse beams upon which a plurality of ground-working implements orshanks are mounted in positions such that they project downwardly intoengagement with the ground. The ground-engaging ends of the shanks mayhave any of a variety of shapes depending on the degree of soilpenetration and disruption desired. The upper end portions of the shanksare releasably secured to the frame by various types of mountings, andit is to this latter feature of such devices that the present inventionis directed.

The improved mounting device of the present invention is constructed toallow for vertical adjustment of a shank and to be itself horizontallyadjustable along the transverse dimension of the frame. In addition, themounting device is constructed to extend between two beams of the frameso as to distribute shank forces to those beams. Another feature is thatthe device can be inverted and reversed so as to permit staggering ofthe shanks each of which is removably clamped to the device near one endthereof.

The invention will be further understood from the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment taken with the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a plow frame;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown schematically in plan view a framesuch as a plow frame or cultivator frame which is adapted to be towedover the ground by a tractor (not shown), a hitch 12 being provided forconnection to a draw bar (not shown) for this purpose. In use the frame10 carries a plurality of shank mounting devices, illustratedschematically at 14, at various locations, each mounting devicesupporting the upper end of a ground-engaging implement or shank. Theconstruction of the frame 10 may be any conventional construction whichincludes at least two parallel horizontal beams extending transverselyto the direction of travel. The illustrated frame 10 has three suchbeams l6, l8 and 20 together with side beams 22 and inner beams 24extending in the direction of travel, all the beams being weldedtogether to form a rigid structure.

Each shank mounting device 14 extends between and is adjustablyconnected to two beams as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the preferredconstruction each device 14 includes a body portion 26 formed of twoidentical vertical spaced apart plates 28 the ends of which arevertically offset from each other so that one end is disposed above theforward beam 18 and the other end is disposed below the aft beam 16. Ahorizontal reinforcing plate 30 is fixed, as by welding, to the leftends of the plates 28, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, in a position topresent an upwardly facing bearing surface which engages the lowersurface of the beam 16. Gusset plates 31 provide additional rigidity. Apair of U-bolts 32 pass through the plate 30 and around the beam 16 forreleasably clamping together the plate 30 and the beam 16.

The right-hand ends of the plates 28, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, arefixed as by welding to a horizontal reinforcing plate 34 having adownwardly facing bearing surface engaging the upper surface of theforward beam 18. A U-bolt 36, disposed between the vertical plates 28,passes over the bearing plate 34 and is provided with a free bearingplate 38 which can be drawn up against the lower surface of the beam 18.

The space between the body plates 28 serves as a guide and clamping slotfor the upper end portion 40 (FIG. 2) of a shank. To this end two guideplates 42 and 44 are welded or otherwise fixed to the inner surfaces ofthe body plates 28 in positions to be engaged by the forward and rearedges of the shank 40. In order to clamp the shank 40 in place one ofthe body plates 28 is provided with one or more set screw assemblieseach consisting, for example, of a nut 46 welded to the outside of theplate 28, a bolt 48 and a lock nut 50.

The guide plates 42 and 44 are disposed near one end of the body plates28 as part of the reversability feature, described below, which permitsstaggering of the shanks 40. Preferably the plates 42 and 44 areinclined slightly from the vertical, for example 8, so that the lowerend of the shank 40 will engage the ground at an appropriate angle.

The mounting devices 14 are constructed so that they can be inverted andreversed and reconnected to the beams 16 and 18. This has the effect ofchanging the position of the respective shank 40 in the longitudinaldirection, so that the shanks can be staggered, one slightly in front ofanother. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the mounting device 14is identical in construction with that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 but inwhich the device is disposed so that the shank 40 is carried just to therear of the forward beam 18. It is, of course, also necessary that theshank be removed from the mounting device 14 and be reinserted in orderthat its lower end extend downwardly and forwardly.

In operation the frame 10 is towed to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 withthe result that counter-clockwise torque is produced on each mountingdevice 14 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4. The torque is distributed by themounting devices 14 to their respective beams through the bearing plates30 and 38 and the associated clamping elements. Specifically the forceis upwardly on the aft beam 16 and downwardly on the forward beam 18. Byarranging the mounting devices 14 so that the shanks 40 in each row arestaggered, the forces applied to each beam can be equalized. The FIG. 2arrangement applies greater force to the forward beam 18, while the FIG.4 arrangement applies greater force to the aft beam 16.

The positions of the mounting devices 14 can be readily adjusted alongthe lengths of the beams 16 and 18 by loosening the U-bolt connectionsat the ends of the devices, and the vertical positions of the shanks 40can be readily adjusted by means of the set screw assemblies 46, 48, 50.These features, together with the reversible feature which permits shankstaggering, render the mounting devices 14 highly versatile.

What is claimed is:

1. ln ground-working apparatus of the type including a horizontal openframe having fore and aft parallel beams extending transversely to thedirection of movement of the apparatus over the ground and including aground-engaging shank releasably attached to said frame by a mountingmeans, the improved mounting means which comprises: a rigid body portionextending between the two beams, one end portion of the body portionhaving a bearing surface engaging the lower surface of the aft beam,said one end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperatewith the lower surface of one beam and with the upper surface of theother beam, and said other end portion and its bearing surface beingadapted to cooperate with the upper surface of said other beam and withthe lower surface of said one beam; releasable clamping means associatedwith each end of said body portion for clamping said end portions to therespective beams in any of a variety of positions along said beams;fixed inclined guide means adjacent one end of said body portioncooperating with the upper end portion of said shank to establish adesired angular relationship between said shank and said body portionwhereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereofchanges the location of said fixed inclined guide means for said shankbetween one position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent saidfore beam and a second position in which said shank will be disposedadjacent said aft beam at the same angle to the ground as in said oneposition; and releasable clamping means for clamping said shank in anyof a variety of vertical positions along said guide means.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said shank guiding means is providedby a generally vertical slot extending through said body portion.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said shank clamping means includes aset screw extending through a wall of said slot and into engagement withsaid shank.

4. A device for attaching a shank to two horizontal spaced-apartparallel beams of a plow frame or the like comprising: a rigid bodyportion of greater length than the distance between the beams, said bodyportion being constructed of two spaced-apart vertical plates defining aslot between them; fixed inclined guide means disposed in said slotadjacent end of said body portion for engaging the upper end portion ofa shank to establish a desired angular relationship between a shank andsaid body portion; means adjacent said guide means for securing theupper end portion of the shank in said slot; a first horizontalreinforcing plate fixed to said one end portion of said body portion andexhibiting an upwardly facing bearing surface for engaging either thelower surface of one of the beams or the upper surface of the otherbeam; a second horizontal reinforcing plate tixed to the opposite endportion of said body portion and exhibiting a downwardly facing bearingsurface for engaging either the upper surface of the other beam or thelower surface of said one beam whereby reversal of said body portionend-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of said fixedinclined guide means between positions adjacent one or the other of thebeams without changing the angle of inclination of said guide meansrelative to the beams; and adjustable clamping means associated witheach plate for engaging the opposite surface of the respective beam tothereby clamp said plates to the beams.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the adjustable clamping meansassociated with each reinforcing plate includes strap means engaging theopposite surface of the respective beam and threaded studs for drawingthe strap means toward the reinforcing plate.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein said fixed inclined guide meansincludes two plates horizontally spaced apart along the length of saidbody portion so as to be engageable with the forward and rear edges ofthe upper end portion of the shank.

1. In ground-working apparatus of the type including a horizontal openframe having fore and aft parallel beams extending transversely to thedirection of movement of the apparatus over the ground and including aground-engaging shank releasably attached to said frame by a mountingmeans, the improved mounting means which comprises: a rigid body portionextending between the two beams, one end portion of the body portionhaving a bearing surface engaging the lower surface of the aft beam,said one end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperatewith the lower surface of one beam and with the upper surface of theother beam, and said other end portion and its bearing surface beingadapted to cooperate with the upper surface of said other beam and withthe lower surface of said one beam; releasable clamping means associatedwith each end of said body portion for clamping said end portions to therespective beams in any of a variety of positions along said beams;fixed inclined guide means adjacent one end of said body portioncooperating with the upper end portion of said shank to establish adesired angular relationship between said shank and said body portionwhereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereofchanges the location of said fixed inclined guide means for said shankbetween one position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent saidfore beam and a second position in which said shank will be disposedadjacent said aft beam at the same angle to the ground as in said oneposition; and releasable clamping means for clamping said shank in anyof a variety of vertical positions along said guide means.
 2. Apparatusas in claim 1 wherein said shank guiding means is provided by agenerally vertical slot extending through said body portion. 3.Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said shank clamping means includes a setscrew extending through a wall of said slot and into engagement withsaid shank.
 4. A device for attaching a shank to two horizontalspaced-apart parallel beams of a plow frame or the like comprising: arigid body portion of greater length than the distance between thebeams, said body portion being constructed of two spaced-apart verticalplates defining a slot between them; fixed inclined guide means disposedin said slot adjacent end of said body portion for engaging the upperend portion of a shank to establish a desired angular relationshipbetween a shank and said body portion; means adjacent said guide meansfor securing the upper end portion of the shank in said slot; a firsthorizontal reinforcing plate fixed to said one end portion of said bodyportion and exhibiting an upwardly facing bearing surface for engagingeither the lower surface of one of the beams or the upper surface of theother beam; a second horizontal reinforcing plate fixed to the oppositeend portion of said body portion and exhibiting a downwardly facingbearing surface for engaging either the upper surface of the other beamor the lower surface of said one beam whereby reversal of said bodyportion end-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of saidfixed inclined guide means between positions adjacent one or the otherof the beams without changing the angle of inclination of said guidemeans relative to the beams; and adjustable clamping means associatedwith each plate for engaging the opposite surface of the respective beamto thereby clamp said plates to the beams.
 5. A device as in claim 4wherein the adjustable clamping means associated with each reinforcingplate includes strap means engaging the opposite surface of therespective beam and threaded studs for drawing the strap means towardthe reinforcing plate.
 6. A device as in claim 4 wherein said fixedinclined guide means includes two plates horizontally spaced apart alongthe lengtH of said body portion so as to be engageable with the forwardand rear edges of the upper end portion of the shank.